MediAct has played a key part in the democratisation of Korea’s media system since the end of the dictatorship, trained thousands of people in media production, and developed many successful media policy proposals to open up Korea’s mediascape to diverse voices. MediaAct has trained many people in social movements in Korea, including the labour movement, immigrants rights, disabled, women’s and queer movement.

MediAct has not only supported the democratisation of communications in community and public service media in South Korea, but on the internet there and in solidarity campaigns across the globe. International support could be very important to try and turn these developments around. The South Korean Government has pending trade agreements with the US, so action via consulates or in Washington at the Embassy could be very useful.

Now they are facing a shut down from Lee Myung-bak’s New Right government in S. Korea as part of a wider campaign of limiting freedom of expression. There are efforts to shut down independent media, and defend media, arts, and cultural organisations across the country.

MediAct in Korea has long played a vital role to support alternative and independent film and video production, a critical citizensâ media monitoring movement, and an independent, democratic trade union movement since the late 1980s wave of democracy movement in Korea. They have also collaborated with many of us around the world.

However, in the past two years, the mediascape and culture sector in South Korea has undergone some drastic changes under the Lee Myung-bak regime/New Right that has taken power as of 2008.

Now MediAct is facing the crisis of a shut down with the massive and politically motivated budget cutting by Korean government. Thus, we need international voices to condemn the Korean government’s attack against the independent media environment in Korea.